Health care information – Health Darkdaughta

You’ve heard of shea butter and all the amazing things that it can do for your skin, but what about cocoa butter? Does it work the same way? Is it just used in chocolate?

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Cocoa butter IS used int he production of white, dark and milk chocolate. It is the essential ingredient in the production of most everyone’s favorite stress reliever. It derives from the cacao bean, a natural and edible vegetable fat, so it is safe to consume. However, in its most raw form, it also has many cosmetic and health uses.

First and foremost, cocoa butter can be bought in bulk or wholesale and used as a moisturizer for the skin. When applied directly to dry skin, it can help prevent stretch marks. Oftentimes pregnant women will begin applying the product throughout pregnancy and after-birth to help reduce the effects of stretch marks and build the elasticity of the skin without damaging it. When applied directly, it can also help reduce the effects of eczema and dermatitis.

If you apply cocoa butter to scars or dry skin, you will notice results almost instantly. The application will cause the skin to glow and slowly reduce the signs of scars over time. It contains Vitamin E, which is a natural ingredient that has many health benefits in its raw form. Vitamin E can also be bought wholesale and in bulk, but if you want the benefits of Vitamin E, you can also just apply cocoa butter and reap the benefits.

Herbalists and natural therapy specialists recommend cocoa butter for use in stress relief, cancer prevention, and immunity to diseases. The antiseptic nature of it is great for cuts, bruises, snake bites, etc.

So how does cocoa butter benefit the skin in so many ways? It’s because it is able to reach the second layer of skin, reaching the skin cells that are harder to reach. As a moisturizer, it gets to this level (the dermis level) and repairs damaged cells and replenish collagen that has been lost in the skin. When collagen is repaired, the skin begins to take on a more stable coloring, making it look fresh and glowing.

Many companies sell bulk cocoa butter, or via wholesale. You will find it oftentimes by the block, ready to be shaved down and used on the skin or within your food products. When buying bulk, be sure to find something that is 100% pure and not mixed. Pure cocoa butter will have the best effects, just as it is important to find 100% shea butter. When shopping at your local beauty store, you will see many products that advertise it within their moisturizer. This is often used as a selling tool. You can usually find incredibly low-priced moisturizers with more butter than the expensive brands. Check the labels. I’d recommend finding it refined or unrefined and in bulk via a wholesale company. Cocoa butter has many other benefits not discussed here, so be sure to do more research if you are using it for edible purposes!

Baldness is the state where there is loss or absence of hair, especially on the head. The most common form of baldness is called androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness, which occurs in adult human males and is a progressive disease. The amount and pattern of baldness can vary greatly amongst people and the disease itself could lead to other forms of baldness such alopecia areata (complete loss of hair on the head) and alopecia totalis (total loss of all body hair).

The incidence of baldness varies from population to population and depends mainly on genetic factors, lifestyle and hormonal levels (androgenic hormones). A large-scale study in Maryborough, Australia, showed that the loss of hair in front part of the head affects approximately 73.5% of men and 57% of women (aged 80 or more). Approximately 25 percent of men begin to show the first symptoms of hair loss from the age of 20, while two-thirds of men begin to have such a condition from the age of 60.

Here are some of the herbs that help in controlling the hormones related to Hair loss.

Rosemary - One of the most widely used herbs in herbal shampoos, hair conditioners and creams, this herb can help in the treatment of dandruff, primary baldness, graying hair and thinning hair. This is also useful for the prevention of hair loss attributed to side effects caused by medicines.

Aloe vera – The gel from the leaves of Aloe vera improves scalp condition. Egyptian researchers have shown that aloe vera gel not only helps fight dandruff, but also helps to regenerate hair in people with seborrheic alopecia (seborrhea). This type of baldness is caused by the formation of scales on an oily scalp. Aloe vera also protects the scalp from the adverse effects of the sun and wind.

Centella asiatica – Centella is widely used in cosmetics for its regenerative properties and for combating hair loss.

Gingko biloba - Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba in restoring the functioning of the circulatory system and improving blood flow – the two most important factors contributing to hair loss.

Saw Palmetto – In the United States, saw palmetto has been used for many years to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. Many men using saw palmetto for the treatment of BPH have noticed that the herb promotes hair growth and also thickens hair strands. Recently it was found that Saw Palmetto may be helpful in treating hair loss by blocking the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, responsible for converting testosterone into DHT, thus possibly causing the follicles to resume their normal functioning. This reverses the hair loss process and promotes hair growth.

Introduction

Eating the right foods when you are vulnerable to acne is very important in both prevention and treating acne.  Studies have found that societies who ate natural foods had very little acne to report.  But when they turned to a Western diet of processed foods, they reported an increase in the amount of acne breakouts in their society.

Processed Foods

Our Western diet has been changed to one of mainly processed foods, as opposed to the natural foods we ate when the United States was being settled.

Processed foods are in general foods that are not in their natural state.

Some examples of these processed foods would be items such as luncheon meat, white breads, cookies, cakes, and just about anything in a box or a can may be considered process foods.

The Problem With Processed Foods

Though processed foods are good to eat, they do provide the body with too much Omega – 6.  Omega – 6 must be properly balanced with Omega – 3 or your body will develop a tendency to have excess inflammation.

Though some inflammation is good, too much can affect your immune system which will cause it to overreact and even attack healthy tissue.  It can also result in severe acne breakouts.

Natural Foods

These are foods that have not been removed or processed out of their natural state.  These foods include fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods, poultry and fish such as tuna, cod, and wild Alaskan salmon.

By eating more natural foods you will reduce the amount of Omega – 6 you are consuming and increase the amount of Omega – 3 you consume through the fish you eat.  This will lead to a proper balance of Omega- 6 to Omega -3 reducing the amount of inflammation in your body.

Since I am not a fish fan, I receive my Omega – 3 from fish oil supplements.

Eating natural foods is one step to curbing acne.  Another important step is to properly care for your face.  This includes such action as cleansing your face twice a day with a cleanser designed for your skin type and exfoliating your face once or twice a week.

Cleansing and exfoliating your face will remove the excess oils, dead skin and bacteria needed to create acne.

Conclusion

Eating natural foods is important to preventing acne.  It has been found that societies that consume natural foods have few reported cases of acne breakouts.

I ate a bunch of sugar over Thanksgiving weekend. Who can resist all the tempting pies and other treats within easy reach over these holidays? I can’t. Especially when I’m 7 1/2 months pregnant.

I’ve been feeling fine, but a couple days after I got home from our trip I found myself with very low energy. I should have been tipped off by my feelings of not caring about anything and just wanting to go back to bed.

I didn’t have the normal symptoms of burning when I went to the bathroom or the frequent need to go, but I know I ammore prone to yeast and urinary tract infections when I’m pregnant. Luckily, I had an appointment with my midwife, Vickie Sorensen the same day I lost my energy.

I did the typical urine test at her office, and it came up high in luekocytes, which indicates infection, nitrites, which indicates the urinary tract, and a little blood, which also points to a UTI. The infection was starting to rage and I hardly knew I had it.

Vickie once had a lady who was in labor with a UTI and couldn’t push the baby out because her bladder kept having spasms. So Vickie said I needed to have the infection resolved within a week or she’d want me to take an antibiotic (which I strongly want to avoid).

I think the reason the infection wasn’t manifesting itself more strongly is because I had been drinking water with lemon oil in it every day. I’m sure this helped keep the infection at bay. But I wasn’t drinking enough in general. The lemon just wasn’t enough to combat all the sugar with the low amount of fluids I consumed while traveling.

I already knew most of what Vickie would recommend. Kidney herbs, 2 capsules, 3 times a day, infection herbs, 2 capsules, 3 times a day and some kind of essential oils. She recommended myrrh rubbed on my lower abdomen. Myrrh is also in her Infection Fighter formula.

I also really liked her suggestion of making a cranberry/apple drink by blending up actual fresh cranberries, which are in season now, with apple juice. I threw in a little yogurt and stevia, and I’m making a drink everyday. It’s delicious! Cranberry juice prevents bacteria from adhering to the wall of the urinary tract, so it’s good to drink the juice or take CranActin capsules if you feel something coming on.

I took 2 doses of the herbal formulas with some extra echinacea the first day, and by the next morning I had my energy back! I was very happy about that. After that I felt fine and tried to drink lots of lemon water along with my herbs and 1 capsule of On Guard for good measure. I also avoided white sugar.

Cranberry Apple Drink

Just blend up these ingredients well in a blender.

-1/2 cup apple juice

-1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

-1/2 cup yogurt (optional)

-2 mini spoons pure stevia extract(opt)

-1/2 cup ice (optional)

-1/2 cup spinach, chard or kale for extra nutrition (optional)

Tools for Fighting UTIs

-Herbal infection capsules (I recommend Vickie’s or Dr. Christopher’s) 2 caps, 3 times a day, 5 drops On Guard essential oil blend in an empty capsule, 3 times a day, and 1-2 cloves raw garlic per day

-Herbal kidney capsules (again, I use Vickie’s & Dr. Christopher’s) 2 caps, 3 times a day

-CranActin capsules, 1 cap, 2 times a day, or a cranberry drink daily

-Myrrh essential oil rubbed on lower abdomen, 2 times a day (optional)

-For pain, Thayer’s Slippery Elm lozenges, 1 lozenge, 3 times a day

-Avoiding junk and white sugar is a must! Eat more raw, whole foods

-Make sure there’s no constipation in the digestive system. Take colon herbs or Doterra’s peppermint essential oil in a capsule if needed. The body needs to be free to eliminate all the toxic materials it possibly can.

-The tools for helping ourselves do exist and they work. If we just learn about them and try them, their function will become second nature to us. It’s empowering to be our own doctor!

Update – 12/17/10 – After continuing to have leukocytes on my next appointment, I had to beef up my protocol, and I learned a few things I want to share with you. Vickie suggested I cut back on the kidney herbs because they are diuretic and my lips and hands were drying out a bit. I went to 1 capsule 2-3 times a day, and kept taking the infection herbs 2-3 times a day. I started taking 1 raw clove of garlic per day, pressed into butter on toast, soup or blended in veggie juice. I also added 2 drops each of basil and oregano essential oils in capsule with the 5 drops of On Guard twice a day. I rubbed these oils on my lower abdomen (diluted in 1/2 tsp carrier oil) and bottoms of feet every night too.

As long as I focused on getting enough infection fighting power along with the kidney specific herbs, my leukocytes went down. The bottom line is, you have to get as aggressive as whatever it is you’re fighting. I really didn’t want to take antibiotics because I tend to have yeast problems and my babies usually get thrush when newborn at some point. So I had to get more aggressive with my natural remedies until I got the upper hand.

So when I am using natural remedies and they don’t seem to be working:

-I make sure they are high quality or fresh
-I use or take them more frequently (unlike drugs, it’s hard to overdose on the remedies I use)
-I increase the quantities slightly or add stronger therapies -I make sure I’m supporting my body with lots of water, good nutrition supplements and light, healthy eating.